Two British husband and wife sold their house in Manchester and bought an entire village in France with the proceeds. They are very happy with their new lives and say they wouldn’t go back to England for anything in the world.
Liz Murphy, 47, and her husband David, 55, bought Lac De Maison, a small historic village in the Poitou-Charentes region of southwestern France, in January 2021. They sold their three-bedroom house for around €470,000 and used it. Money to buy six 400-year-old houses, two sheds and about 2 hectares of land.
They have turned a derelict hamlet into a thriving business, with three renovated holiday homes fully booked so far for summer 2024.
The couple has said that they have no intention of returning to their native country.
The couple used to work in radio in England and say they have a “lovely feeling” that they no longer depend on an employer and work for themselves.
With costs rising so much in Britain, the couple – who have two children – say they can’t have the lifestyle they want at home and are now in France.
Liz said Independence: “We’ve been very busy, we’ve been full this summer, and we’ve had guests on weekends even during the holiday season. Renovations are still ongoing, but mostly complete. We’re in our fourth year here, getting used to the maintenance and learning how to streamline the work.
We loved England but have no regrets about moving here and no plans to move back. It’s good because we control our own destiny a little bit more.”.
David added: “Now we have more stability in France.”
Both spouses dreamed of living in France, and things fell into line in 2020 when they had an extended leave due to the pandemic. At the same time, they found the village for sale and decided to sell the house in Manchester. So, in December 2020 they moved to France with their two children and Liz’s parents.
“We both worked all day and the kids were on their own after school. It was only when the pandemic hit and we went on vacation that we realized life was passing us by. We didn’t spend much time with the kids and decided to do something to change our lives. We had been talking about going to France for years and I said the time had come“, Liz added.
He also said that the family’s standard of living has greatly improved since France. They spend a lot of time together and although prices fluctuate here and there, they have more stability when moving.
Publisher: DC
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